Copra-drying apparatus.



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I COPRA DRYING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR'. zo, IsIs.l

Patented Mar. 13, 1917 5 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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COPRA DRYING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 2Q. 1916.

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I. D. McC0RD coPRA DRYING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 20, I9I6.

PatentedMar. 13, 1917.

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UNITED STATES PATENT oEEIoE.

JOHN D. MCCORD, 0F MANILA, PHILIPPINE ISLANDS.

CORA-DRYING. APPARATUS.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 13, v1917.

Application led March 20, 1916. Serial No. 85,390.

of copra andmore particularly to apparatus for drying 'the shelled meats .of cocoanuts preparatory to the completion of the process of converting the same into copra.

The primary objects of my invention are to construct a drying apparatus wherein provision is made for a plurality of trays or galleries upon which the cocoanut meats are deposited and having its heat flues so disposed that the ovens or .chambers into which the trays are placed will be evenly heated throughout their entire area. It is likewise an object of my invention to construct the apparatus in a unit or sectional form so that additional ovens or tray compartments may be added at a.' comparatively small expense.' Another object is the provision of a drying apparatus of this type 'that is duplex in character-that is, the

ovens or tray compartments are distributed upon opposite sides of a central heating plant or blower. Further objects of my invention are to provide a drying apparatus that is simple and easy to operate, comparatively inexpensive to manufacture, and is effective in carrying out the objects for which the same is designed. Other objects of my invention will be obvious to mechanics and others skilled in the art to which the same pertains after an understanding had ot the construction thereof as described in the annexed specification.

'i prefer to ac :omplish the divers objects of my invention by' the means and in the manner hereinafter fully described and as Y' more particularly pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming apart of this specification.

In the drawings* Figure 1 is a vertical front elevation of one of my improved drying apparatuses showing the same constructed of siX duplex drying units or tray compartments dlsposed three upon either side of a, central heating plant and blowers;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional viewtaken- 3 3, Fig. e,

on. line 2 2, Figrl, Showing two double` I umts or compartments with the trays removed and drawn to anenlarged scale;

F 1g. 3 is a vertical section taken on line showing a fragmentary portion of the lower left-hand corner of the end `unit or compartment;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary detail view of a portion of the heating plant and the adjacent unit or compartment, the latter being shown in yertical section and portions of the walls of the former being broken away to disclose the construction of portions of 'the interior thereof; f

F'g. 5 is a horizontal section taken on line 5 5, Fig. 1, showing a plan of the lower air iues of one of the batteries of compartments, the arrows indicating the course of the heated air upon leaving the furnace;

Fig. 6 isa vertical section on line 6 6 vof Fig. 1, showing the baie plates-in the `vertical end fiue of the smoke conduit, the

arrows indicating the course of the heated products of combustlon;

Fig. 7 1s a transverse vertical section on :line 7-7 of Fig. 1, the trays having been removed; andv 'Fig 8 is an enlarged detail of a sliding shutter which may be applied to all openings leading into or from the respective compartments.

Referring to the drawings, wherein it will be observed similar reference characters have been employed to designate the same parts in the divers figures, (A is a suitablel foundation or base of masonry or the like that is substantially rectangular in shape and is adapted to support a plurality of compartments upon either side of a centrally disposed heater B. The heater preferably is disposed below the horizontal plane of the bottom of the compartments and comprises a fire box or combustion chamber 10 disposed above suitable grate bars 11, and has an ash pit 12 beiow the latter from which the ash is removable through a horizontally elongated doorway 13. The heater is preferably provided with double-walls 14 as shown in detail in Fig. 4 of the drawings, that are spaced away from each other by spools or fillers 15 in or'der to provide an air tine or jacket 16 entirely surrounding the heater excepting where suitable outlets or openings are made as hereinafter more fully appears. In order to protect the inner top wall I prefer to bolt or otherwise secure to the under surface thereof one or more metal plates 1T of greater thickness than the metal from which the walls are made.

The.top member of the fiue 16 surrounding the heater is preferably provided with a centrally disposed opening 18, to the edge whereof is secured the lower end portion of a pipe 19 that has its upper portion Q0 flared or funnel-shaped and is connected with the outlet of a suitable blower 21. Thisblower may be of any type or size consistent with the quantity of draft or circulation desired in the air flue or jacket 16, and is mounted upon horizontal brackets 22 projecting from suitable wall-plates 23 secured to the vertical exterior walls of the adjacent drying compartments.

The heated products of combustion pass from the combustion chamber of the heater through an outlet flue Q4 that extends the entire width and length of the drying compartments upon either side of the heater, and its admission to this fiue 24 is regulated by means of a suitable pivoted damper 25 extending across its ends adjacent the combustion chamber. Owing to the Ifact that the construction and arrangement\ of the units are the 'same upon either side thereof, it is only necessary to describe one unit. Said unit or drying compartment preferably comprises a rectangular-shaped metal box consisting of vertical side walls 26, a rear wall 27, and a horizontal top wall 28, that are formed of sheet metal, the 'front portion or wall being left open so that access may be readily had to the interior. This open front is closed by a suitable hinged door or front plate 29 that is adapted to be locked in closed position by latch bolts 30 of any suitable construction. A pluralityv of horizontal rows of perforations 231 are made in the side walls QG and slightly above each row an L-shaped angle metal strip 32 is secured upon the inner surface of these walls so that the trays 33, having perforated bottoms containing the cocoanut meat, may be placed thereon in a compact and convenient manner.

Outside the top and side walls of the compartment, and spaced a distance therefrom, are outer walls 34 and 35, respectively, so that an air flue or jacket 3G is provided around the side and top of the compartment. Owing to the fact that I place two compartments back to back as illustrated in Fig.

2 of the drawings, I have found it unneces- Y sary to form an air flue or acket at the rear of each of said compartments. At convenient points in the bottom plate 37 of the compartments Ihave provided openings'BS that communicate with an extension air flue 39 ofthe main air flue 16. Therair fluevl is adapted to communicate with the interior of each compartment through openings Lt1 made in the bottom wall plate of the latter, so that the air may directly enter and circulate in the interior thereof. The combustion flue Qi is co-extensive with the air fines and is disposed exteriorly thereto to the outer side wall of the end unit, where it is disposed vertically as shown at l2 in Fig.

A 3 of the drawings and is divided by suitable bafrles 46 so as to permit the heated products of combustion to be directed down at the sides of said flue and up through the central portion to the chimney or stack '-14, as shown in Fig. G of the drawings.

In order to conduct the heated air to the respective chambers, and distribute the same evenly, thus causing it to travel a greater distance or until its efficiency is spent, I have provided bafiles or channel plates 45 in the lower air flue 16 that are adapted to conduct the heated airback and forth under the respective units, and control the same by a damper 40.

From lthe above it will be observed that the air pumped from the blower 21 is forced down and caused to circulate through the lcompartment 1G, around the bafiles 45,

wherefit becomes highly heated and then passes into the vertical fiues 39 alongside each drying compartment and enters said compartments through the openings 31. This air also passes directly through the openings 41 in the bottom of each compartment, where it circulates around the perforated drying trays 33 containing the cocoanut meats, and thoroughly drys the latter, passing out through an outlet 50 in the top wall of each compartment, which outlet is controlled by a damper 51. This heated air under ordinary conditions would cool after traveling a short distance, but owing to the fact 'that the flues for conducting and distributing the air are surrounded or covered upon their outside by the heater fiues the temperature of this air does not materially decrease but is maintained hot throughout its circulation. It Iwill likewise be observed that the combustion flues do not in any way communicate with either the dry air flues or the drying chambers, but are insulated therefrom, thus permitting the cocoanut meats to be treated and dried with clean heated air that has little or no deleterious effect upon it.

While I have herein illustrated and described certain specific means for carrying out my invention and its objects, it, of course, will be obvious to others skilled in the art to which it appeitains ,that divers modifications or refinements thereof are possible without materially departing from the f spirit of my invention. I therefore desire it understood that all such changes in the structure are contemplated as included within the scope of my invention as expressed rin the appended claims.

What I claim as new is:

1. A drying apparatus comprising a double walled drying chamber, a heat flue surrounding said chamber, and means for circulating air between the double walls of said chamber and into same. Y

2. A drying apparatus comprising a drying chamber, an air fiue surrounding said chamber and communicating therewith, a

heat iue surrounding said air flue, and

means for forcing air into said first-mentioned flue and into said chamber.

3. A drying apparatus comprising a drying chamber, a heater, a flue leading from said heater around said chamber, and means for circulat-ing air between said flue and from said heater and surrounding said drying chamber and its respective air space.

6. A drying apparatus comprising a drying chamber, a blower, an air iue surrounding said chamber and transmitting air from said blower to said chamber, a heater disposed in an intermediate portion of said air flue, and a heat flue leading from said heater around said chamber outside said air iiue.

7. A drying apparatus comprising a plurality of drying chambers, heat flues surrounding said chambers, and air fines surrounding said chambers and interposed between the same and said heat flues.

8. A drying apparatus comprising a plurality of drying chambers, air iiuessurrounding said chambers and communicating therewith, a heater, and heat ues leading from said heater and surrounding said rchambers outside said air lues.

9. A drying apparatus comprisin a plurality of. drying chambers arrange in palrs and spaced from each other side by side, air flues surrounding said chambers and disposed between each pair thereof and communicating therewith, a heater, and heat flues 'disposed exteriorly of said air flues and surrounding each group of chambers.

l0. A drying apparatus comprising a heater, drying chambers arranged in pairs and grouped upon each side of said heater, an air jacketsurrounding said heater, flues leading from saidv jacket and surrounding and communicating with each pair of chambers, a blower communicating with said jacket, and heat fiues leading from said heater and surrounding each group of chambers outside said air iues.

11. A drying apparatus comprising a dryingchamber, heat flues surrounding said chamber, and. air iiues surrounding said .chamber and disposed between the same and said heat flues, one leg of said airline provided with baffies to provide a longer circulation of the airtherein.

12. A drying apparatus comprising a plurality of drying chambers, heat iiues sur- ,rounding said chambers, and air flues surrounding said chambers and interposed `.be-,k

tween the same and said heat flues, said air lues provided with longitudinal baiiies in its lower member around which the air is adapted to circulate.

13. A 'drying apparatus comprising a plurality of drying chambers, heat flues surrounding said chambers the top member whereof is provided with longitudinal baiiies permitting of a double circulation of the heated'products of combustion through said member, and air ues interposed between said chambers a-nd 'heat fines one member whereof is provided with baiiies whereby the air circulates back and forth therein.

Signed at the city of Manila, Philippine Islands, this 11th day of February, 1916.

JOHN D. MCCORD.

Copies of this patent may-be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner otilatents,

Wuhin'ztomnc. 

